Part 1: The killer questions

1. Is the supply chain secure?

The risk

Relying on a single supplier who can terminate at will. If a key contract allows "termination for convenience", the supplier can hold you hostage for price increases immediately post-close.

Manual workflow

Junior lawyers skim supplier contracts, often missing the "termination" subsection buried in the appendices.

Colabra workflow

Colabra's AI extraction scans every supplier agreement for "termination for convenience" and "change of control" provisions. We convert static PDFs into a searchable risk register, ensuring supply lines are locked in.

2. What lies beneath the surface? (Environmental)

The risk

Strict liability for historical contamination (CERCLA). You inherit the cleanup costs of every previous owner.

Manual workflow

A messy data room where Phase I reports are hidden inside "real estate" folders, mixed with leases and floor plans.

Colabra workflow

Colabra's document classification automatically sorts EHS (environmental, health, and safety) documents into a dedicated domain. We separate the noise from the critical Phase I/II reports so your environmental consultants can start their review on Day 1.

3. Are the permits current?

The risk

Operating without valid permits can shut down the factory.

Manual workflow

Manually checking expiration dates on hundreds of scanned permits.

Colabra workflow

Colabra extracts dates and renewal terms from permit documents. Our gap analysis highlights missing permit schedules, ensuring you know exactly which licences need immediate renewal post-close.

Part 2: The war story

The $580M write-down

Case study: Caterpillar's acquisition of ERA Mining

Caterpillar acquired ERA Mining for ~$650M. Months later, they uncovered massive accounting misconduct involving discrepancies between physical inventory and accounting records. Caterpillar took a $580 million write-down, wiping out nearly the entire deal value.

Colabra fix

Our reconciliation lens matches physical inventory sub-ledgers against sales history to identify "zombie inventory" and accounting gaps that manual spot-checks miss.